Securing Bike for Traveling

[onaprwl]

OK, I have never been one for motorcycle on trailer, but there is a first for everything. I watched the Big Dog Dealer secure my bike to bring home and they pulled down on the ratchet straps almost until the forks stopped going down, so when traveling from that point on I have done the same. Won't this hurt the seals, all this pressure for a long time while traveling? If you don't pull down won't it bounce at bumps and possibly come loose? So.... if this is not right, what is the correct way to secure?

 

[PurpleDog]

i don't cinch it down all the way till it almost stops; but i make sure its under pretty fair pressure. (judge by your normal fork wear travel) I would think the real answer would vary depending on your setup (trailer type sa/ta, tie downs etc, etc) does your straps have saftey hooks that wont release or otherwise come unhooked should your suspension compress/unload while traveling down the road in other words. What wheelchock?...There is a thread on this topic on here elsewhere already though. Basically snug it down is all I know how to describe it to you. Don't crush it.

 

[BWG56]

If I load my bike in the trailer a day before leaving I don't really pull it down until I'm leaving. I usually pull it down as far as the marks on the tubes from riding. Usually you can see a oil mark as to how far the front forks collapse when riding. Also I stop after about 10-15 miles after leaving just to recheck the straps, my trailer is enclosed so I can't just look back.:up:

 

[Eric]

I agree w/ the others about how far to pull down on forks but I have a ridgid so where I attach to frame I tihgten down really well, also I have one of those wire less back up cameras in enclosed trailer to keep an eye on my dog

 

[onaprwl]

Thanks guys, I do also strap the back down now because I don't like crushing the front that much, and NO, The straps I have, from Big Dog, only have the latch hook on one end. The other end is just a S hook, not to bright of a way to make straps if you ask me. I have a front wheel chock that DID lock the wheel but I had to modify it for my bike. If I let the lock come up as I pulled on to it, it would have hit the bottom of my front fender. Still works pretty good to keep the bike somewhat secure, especially from going forward, but it won't hold it straight up as it does for other bikes after modification.

 

[PurpleDog]

i don't have the fancy straps/hooks either, but you can tie your S hooks so they won't slip off easy enough bro...

Keep in mind a heavier tandem axle isn't going to bounce around quiet as much as a single axle....i dunno what ur dealing with. Seems like you got common sense though so you should be fine...:up:

 

[BorgerBigDog]

I use the tie downs like purple Dog.Just to be sure it stays secure I double up on the front forks 2 straps per side. My single axle bounces alot.I have found one loose but the back up one was still tight...:2thumbs:

 

[Thumper]

Hey Purple, With the Condor you are better off pulling into the chock with the straps. No need to compress the forks. Thats the beauty of that Condor.

 

[PurpleDog]

Hey Purple, With the Condor you are better off pulling into the chock with the straps. No need to compress the forks. Thats the beauty of that Condor.

appreciate the tip Thumper but I'm not sure I follow you bro....I've been pulling into the Condor and letting it lock the tire and basically using the straps to hold the bike upright/steady after stepping off. I am compressing a bit to do that though. I guess I'm missing how not to do that maybe? [I've actually got both style of Condors to choose from btw too] you got a pic to help me visualize what your saying?

{or did you mean to type than with using the straps, as in no need for 'em? - if so, ya I'm aware the Condor is cool and will hold my bike but I'll throw some straps on there just the same...}

 

[toomanybikes]

I think that Thumper is saying is saying to use the straps to pull your bike forward into the chock instead of pulling down on the front forks. I have the Condor Chopper Chock and use the Powertye Big Daddys Tie-Down Ratchet w/2 Snap-Hook Ends and Sewn-in Sheepskin Soft-Tye fastened to the downtubes by the voltage regulator to pull my Mastiff into the chock.

 

[PurpleDog]

I think that Thumper is saying is saying to use the straps to pull your bike forward into the chock instead of pulling down on the front forks. I have the Condor Chopper Chock and use the Powertye Big Daddys Tie-Down Ratchet w/2 Snap-Hook Ends and Sewn-in Sheepskin Soft-Tye fastened to the downtubes by the voltage regulator to pull my Mastiff into the chock.

oh, i see what ur saying; yeah that makes sense. I'd have to check that out next time I got 2 bikes in there as I've got 'em pretty close. So you guys draw 'em in low down by the VR...they don't sway any up top that way eh? I'll give it a try guys, thanks for the tip - no sense extended compressing times at all for me if I don't need to i guess....:up:

 

[kickstart]

I do pretty much what everyone else said and I leave the Bike in Neutral. I have the K&L chocks with the bolt on cross bar to pull the bike into the chock.

Eric, I need to get one of those cameras.

 

[Eric]

got my camera & cosco, its like a sams, I believe it was about $60.00, mounted the camera in trailer & supplied power via the runnung light, that way no exter wiring in trailer, when you need to see in there just turn running light on With monitor on inside vehical & look around, or leave on,@ night just leave light on inside of trailer so its light enough to see

 

[BorgerBigDog]

Seems like the top would sway some to me but Hell i will try anything

 

[Eric]

you talkin about the trailer swayin?? no mines fine

 

[BorgerBigDog]

I was talking about securing the bike low on the downtubes, seems like the top of the bike would sway

 

[onaprwl]

I like the idea of tyeing the S hooks, Thanks. I'll take some pics of mine in the trailer next time I load it.

 

[Marco Polo]

Purple, where are your turn signal lens covers?

 

[PurpleDog]

Purple, where are your turn signal lens covers?

in a box in my garage i think...you need 'em?

[ah, prolly not with an 09 Wolf...] nah man, I got smoked lenses on there, ya just can't really see em that well in those pics don't look like from the angle/light i guess.

 

[showdog]

Well I get the pleasure of securing somewhere around 24 Big Dogs almost daily and hauling them an average of 75,000 miles a year. We never use wheel chocks and in fact don't have any mounting for them in our trailers. We do however compress the front forks all the way to the stops. There is actually very little extra "pressure" on the oil in the forks when compressed. The oil is for dampening and the rebound is acomplished by springs. There is a small amount of added pressure from the displacement of the fork tubes but having strapped 1,000's of Big Dogs this way I have yet to blow a seal. I think Rick has blown 1 in 14 years. If you do not compress them completely and get into a stiuation where a f-ing moron on a cell phone puts you in the ditch the forks can actually compress further and allow the bike to lay over. When I first started I was leaving them about an inch of travel till one day when Rick was standing in my trailer and grabbed a bike that I had just "completely" secured and laid it down till the pipes touched. I was horrified then he explained how much damage that could do to the bike next to it. I walked over and instead of just shaking it I grabbed the the bars and pulled it over and was shocked even more how easy it was to pull down. Since that moment I have pulled them to the stops. We also use a single strap through the rear wheel pulling back and then strap the tires together between the bikes to the front and back. We always make sure the attachment point on the floor for the front is never ahead of the front axle and that the back is pulling back not just holding the tire to the floor. Even with wheel chocks if you do not pull back on the rear or at the very least have the tire held in place and get into a situation where the trailer whips the back end of the bike can move far enough sideways that it will still lay down no matter how you have the front strapped.

Just my $.02 but so far the only transit damage I have had was when a hook on the strap broke and the strap slapped the fender on the bike in front causing a paint chip about he size of a dime. The bike it was holding just leaned over against the wall.